Ileana LaGrutta September 10, 2014 EDC 102H Academic Autobiography So I could sit here and talk about how my first math equation or the first time I wrote my name helped shape me into the person I am today. However, as I take a glimpse back into my past I’m automatically drawn to my love of sports and even more specifically, gym class. It was one rope, a few blocks, a lot of kids, and an activity named after the show “Gilligan’s Island” that has influenced me and left me with some lessons that I can take with me as I progress through life.
I’m a six year old kindergartner again in a school that, at the time, seemed like the biggest place in the entire world. We’re already pretty far into the school year when I walk into the gymnasium for yet another gym class. As I walk in I see a bunch of mats and ropes and things of that nature. We all take our seats against the wall (in alphabetical order of course) and wait for our teacher to begin explaining what all of this equipment is for. He explains that this is the gymnastics unit and, shortly after, we all get up and run to various stations. A lot of kids went to the rope climb or the rings but I wasn’t feeling that. Instead I made my way over to Gilligan’s Island. Who would have known that it was going to teach me so much not only during the five years at my elementary school, but throughout life as well.
Before I get into how wonderful Gilligan’s Island was I figure I should explain what it’s all about first. There was a mat that was raised off of the ground on one side and on the other side, maybe ten feet away, there were some blocks set up. Now these blocks were probably only five feet long and four feet wide; there really was not much room at all. The object of Gilligan’s Island was to swing from the mat to the blocks and see how many people we could fit on them. I swung to Gilligan's Island a countless number of times over the course of five years and I have to say, it is my fondest memory from elementary school. I distinctly remember one year, maybe third grade, we broke the record for the amount of kids we could get on the blocks. It was probably around twenty kids, and, believe me when I tell you, you did not want to be that kid that fell off of the blocks and ruined it for everyone else. Now I understand that this may just sound like a game and that it could have no lasting impact on anyone’s life whatsoever, but it did have an impact on mine. This game essentially taught me about working with others. Throughout life, you are going to have to work with other people whether you want to or not. It could be for a school project, it could be at your job, or, even more relevant right now, it could be working with your roommates to keep your “home” as positive a place as possible.
There is no way that you will make it through life without help from others. Even if you are the biggest introvert in the world, there will be a time where you are not going to know how to do something and you are going to need help. You could even be the most intelligent person out there, but there will be at least one problem that you will not be able to tackle on your own. This is where the idea of using someone as a resource is absolutely essential. Furthermore, it is imperative that the concept of teamwork is instilled in childrens’ heads at a very young age. Gilligan’s Island, for me, has done just this. I may be an only child but working with others has come fairly easy to me because of one activity in elementary school gym class. I took the lessons I learned from that rope and mat and transferred them to my sports teams, my school work, and most recently, college. Whether I literally or figuratively need someone to lean on, I have absolutely became a better team player because I know that I’m not making it through this life by myself. Rather, I’m going to encounter many situations where I’m going to need someone to be my Gilligan’s Island.
September 10, 2014
EDC 102H
Academic Autobiography
So I could sit here and talk about how my first math equation or the first time I wrote my name helped shape me into the person I am today. However, as I take a glimpse back into my past I’m automatically drawn to my love of sports and even more specifically, gym class. It was one rope, a few blocks, a lot of kids, and an activity named after the show “Gilligan’s Island” that has influenced me and left me with some lessons that I can take with me as I progress through life.
I’m a six year old kindergartner again in a school that, at the time, seemed like the biggest place in the entire world. We’re already pretty far into the school year when I walk into the gymnasium for yet another gym class. As I walk in I see a bunch of mats and ropes and things of that nature. We all take our seats against the wall (in alphabetical order of course) and wait for our teacher to begin explaining what all of this equipment is for. He explains that this is the gymnastics unit and, shortly after, we all get up and run to various stations. A lot of kids went to the rope climb or the rings but I wasn’t feeling that. Instead I made my way over to Gilligan’s Island. Who would have known that it was going to teach me so much not only during the five years at my elementary school, but throughout life as well.
Before I get into how wonderful Gilligan’s Island was I figure I should explain what it’s all about first. There was a mat that was raised off of the ground on one side and on the other side, maybe ten feet away, there were some blocks set up. Now these blocks were probably only five feet long and four feet wide; there really was not much room at all. The object of Gilligan’s Island was to swing from the mat to the blocks and see how many people we could fit on them. I swung to Gilligan's Island a countless number of times over the course of five years and I have to say, it is my fondest memory from elementary school. I distinctly remember one year, maybe third grade, we broke the record for the amount of kids we could get on the blocks. It was probably around twenty kids, and, believe me when I tell you, you did not want to be that kid that fell off of the blocks and ruined it for everyone else. Now I understand that this may just sound like a game and that it could have no lasting impact on anyone’s life whatsoever, but it did have an impact on mine. This game essentially taught me about working with others. Throughout life, you are going to have to work with other people whether you want to or not. It could be for a school project, it could be at your job, or, even more relevant right now, it could be working with your roommates to keep your “home” as positive a place as possible.
There is no way that you will make it through life without help from others. Even if you are the biggest introvert in the world, there will be a time where you are not going to know how to do something and you are going to need help. You could even be the most intelligent person out there, but there will be at least one problem that you will not be able to tackle on your own. This is where the idea of using someone as a resource is absolutely essential. Furthermore, it is imperative that the concept of teamwork is instilled in childrens’ heads at a very young age. Gilligan’s Island, for me, has done just this. I may be an only child but working with others has come fairly easy to me because of one activity in elementary school gym class. I took the lessons I learned from that rope and mat and transferred them to my sports teams, my school work, and most recently, college. Whether I literally or figuratively need someone to lean on, I have absolutely became a better team player because I know that I’m not making it through this life by myself. Rather, I’m going to encounter many situations where I’m going to need someone to be my Gilligan’s Island.